I Built an Inn at the End of the World

[Business Preparation (2): Clean the Inn You have achieved the following goals: Clean outer walls (100%) Clean roof (100%) Clean rooms (100%) Clean attic (100%) ... Would you like to submit the quest?]

Qian Zhenzhen: Submit! Then she was flooded with pop-up notifications...

[You received Sweet and Juicy Large Strawberries58] [You received Koi Vouchers18] [Your inn is upgrading! [Level 0→1, countdown 11:59:59]] [You received Koi Vouchers*18] [Congratulations, as an excellent manager, you have completed the business preparation tasks, please look forward to your inn's new appearance after the upgrade!] [You have unlocked the Space Warehouse!] [You can store important supplies~ Of course, except for living things.] [You have unlocked the Voucher Shop!] [You can select the goods you want, but please note, "Koi Vouchers" are the only currency for trading.] [You have unlocked the Recycling function!] [You can recycle everything, of course, except for living things.]

Qian Zhenzhen didn't bother to look more, changed out of her dirty clothes, poured some disinfected stream water to wash her face and hands, then started cooking porridge and took out one of the system-rewarded large strawberries from the space warehouse.

A special fragrance wafted to her nose, the taste from her memories. The bright red strawberry was plump and fresh, its stem still tender and green, catching an orange glow in the campfire light. The moment she bit into it, the rich juice spread across her tongue, a creamy sweetness instantly activating her taste buds. The flesh was slightly cool but incredibly tender, melting in her mouth with just a slight chew.

Qian Zhenzhen inexplicably teared up, perhaps from the satisfaction of enjoying a reward after hard work, or perhaps because it had been a full three years since she had tasted such fresh deliciousness... Fruit that was commonplace before the apocalypse had become a rare luxury now, representing the past days, telling her that even seemingly ordinary peaceful life was worth cherishing.

After eating one, she couldn't resist and ate another, but only one more. Ah, she was already satisfied, better save the rest for later. She wanted to experience this sweet happiness several more times!

Opening the voucher shop, it was still blank, with the refresh time in the upper right corner matching the inn's upgrade time. And her current Koi Vouchers were—94. She'd wait until tomorrow to see what goods were available, not knowing how the prices would be, hoping they wouldn't be too expensive.

After finishing her porridge, stamping out the extra fires, Qian Zhenzhen set her watch alarm, rubbed her stiff stomach, sniffed herself who desperately needed washing, and closed her eyes sleepily.

Tonight's dream would surely be sweet and fragrant. She hoped that when she woke up tomorrow, she would have a brand new inn.

...

"Beep, beep beep—"

The watch alarm kept ringing incessantly. Qian Zhenzhen turned it off, feeling so drowsy she almost fell back asleep.

At this crucial moment, the system displayed a message:

[Congratulations, your inn has been upgraded. Please begin your business journey!]

[Inn · Unnamed (Level 1)

The rising sun brings its first rays of light, clouds and gentle breezes dwell here permanently, and blessed dewdrops wash away all dust.

An inn located in a remote forest, with only basic facilities and furniture, looking strange and absurd - will any guests really come here?

Excellent manager, hurry and open for business!]

Qian Zhenzhen instantly became alert, crawling out of her sleeping bag using both hands and feet.

She pulled her windbreaker tight and gazed in amazement at the building before her.

Wow, is this her inn?

The dilapidated wooden cabin has undergone a complete transformation!

It's now a brand-new wooden structure, with kiln-fired clay tiles arranged like fish scales, natural wood walls standing sturdy and straight, and pristine, windproof window paper.

Opening the front door, the scent of wood wafts through the air as sunlight illuminates the spotless floor, casting golden reflections beneath one's feet.

On the left stands an L-shaped counter displaying a business sign, menu board, and blank ledgers.

Behind the counter is a semi-open kitchen, sectioned off by wooden walls into a rectangular space. It features a serving window in the center and a doorless entrance where a curtain could hang. Inside are stone-paved floors, a stove, and a chimney.

The living room features a simple table and chairs by the window, with emerald vines dangling from the windowsill above.

The bathroom contains storage cabinets, a basic squat toilet, and flush equipment (though waterless), with new wooden basins and buckets nearby for manual water operation.

The bedroom features a wardrobe and small wooden bed, with an east-facing window for morning light, though it still needs bedding and pillows.

A metal retractable ladder in the passageway leads to the loft, making access easy.

Qian Zhenzhen climbed to the loft and opened the south-facing window.

The forest breeze is cool, but the rising sun provides just enough warmth for comfort.

Her hair flutters in the wind, brushing against her cheeks as she closes her eyes and breathes in the fresh forest air, finally feeling at peace after two days of anxiety.

It's decided—this will be her bedroom!

Though the space is small, it's enough for her.

The system urged her to open for business, but with less than 28 hours left on the "Newbie Protection" buff, she decided to make the most of it with three tasks:

1. Collect remaining usable resources from the bus crash site using the space warehouse.

2. Explore the area thoroughly to reveal the map's fog of war for future outings.

3. Find a closer, stable water source, since the previous stream was too distant.

Without delay, Qian Zhenzhen descended from the loft, quickly washed up, and stored all resources from inside and outside the cabin in the space warehouse.

After securing the doors and windows, she hurried to the bus crash site.

About thirty zombies wandered nearby, with more trapped inside the bus. She wisely avoided releasing them.

Since zombies counted as "living things," the bus containing them couldn't be stored in the warehouse.

Only the overturned armored jeep might be salvageable—or at worst, useful for metal.

She stored it directly in the warehouse.

Though she'd searched before, she delightedly discovered two bags of luggage hanging in the trees, which she collected after climbing up.

She gathered the remaining tires, metal sheets, and parts.

Metal fragments from the ground—collected.

Searching the bus crash site for resources—Complete (√)

With food and water in the space warehouse, she could explore without returning to cook. Consulting her map, she munched on dry food while traversing the forest, recording important details on her watch.

The valley contained cedar, camphor, and pine trees, along with low shrubs, thorny plants, mushrooms, and medicinal herbs.

Thanks to survival courses taken in Y City, she could identify some of these plants. She collected useful specimens for later.

To the south sprawled a bamboo forest, while other areas held scattered chestnut, jujube, and walnut trees—typical mountain vegetation.

On an eastern sunny slope grew sweet potatoes and edible lilies, their roots and bulbs plump and ready for harvest.

She gathered these too, naturally.